vikingBerserker
Lieutenant General
"Dust Clouds in the Middle East - The Air War for East Africa, Iraq, Syria, Iran and Madagascar, 1940-42"
by Christopher Shores
Grub Street - 1996
ISBN 1-898697-37-X
Of all the theatres in WW2, one of the least written about has to be the Middle-East. If you have any interest in the Air War, then this book is a must!
The book is 308 pages long with a number of pictures and maps and is divided into 5 sections:
I - East Africa: UK/Commonwealth vs. Italians
II - Iraq: UK/Commonwealth vs. rebel Iraqis, Italians, Germans, and some Vichy French in Syria
III - Syria: UK/Commonwealth Free French vs. Vichy France
IV - Iran: UK/Commonwealth Russia vs. Iran
V - Madagascar: UK/Commonwealth vs Vichy France (and a Japanese sub that torpedoed the HMS Ramillies a tanker)
[Commonwealth were mainly Australians and South Africans]
It is organized in typical Shores method by day and shares the kills reported and the actual losses from both sides. The book is fascinating and it talks about the use of aircraft that was not very common in the other areas. Just to list a few:
Olivier LeO 257bis - 5 seat biplane bomber used, err I mean destroyed by the British within minutes of having landed.
Vickers Wellesley - bomber that set a world record.
Vickers Valentia - biplane transport
Bristol Bombay - bomber and transport
Ju 90 - Transport
Breda 65 - Iraqi Ground Attack Fighter
It's a great book for a little known area of the war. The only bad thing I can say about the book is the lack of a general index. I have to rate it as a strong 10.
by Christopher Shores
Grub Street - 1996
ISBN 1-898697-37-X
Of all the theatres in WW2, one of the least written about has to be the Middle-East. If you have any interest in the Air War, then this book is a must!
The book is 308 pages long with a number of pictures and maps and is divided into 5 sections:
I - East Africa: UK/Commonwealth vs. Italians
II - Iraq: UK/Commonwealth vs. rebel Iraqis, Italians, Germans, and some Vichy French in Syria
III - Syria: UK/Commonwealth Free French vs. Vichy France
IV - Iran: UK/Commonwealth Russia vs. Iran
V - Madagascar: UK/Commonwealth vs Vichy France (and a Japanese sub that torpedoed the HMS Ramillies a tanker)
[Commonwealth were mainly Australians and South Africans]
It is organized in typical Shores method by day and shares the kills reported and the actual losses from both sides. The book is fascinating and it talks about the use of aircraft that was not very common in the other areas. Just to list a few:
Olivier LeO 257bis - 5 seat biplane bomber used, err I mean destroyed by the British within minutes of having landed.
Vickers Wellesley - bomber that set a world record.
Vickers Valentia - biplane transport
Bristol Bombay - bomber and transport
Ju 90 - Transport
Breda 65 - Iraqi Ground Attack Fighter
It's a great book for a little known area of the war. The only bad thing I can say about the book is the lack of a general index. I have to rate it as a strong 10.
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